


When A Man Loves a Woman

by Soulbarebones



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, breaking up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 09:12:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11227863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulbarebones/pseuds/Soulbarebones
Summary: When a man loves a woman, he knows when to walk away.





	When A Man Loves a Woman

The writing had been on the wall for months. They were two very different people with very different goals in life who shared in common, a love for one another. It would have been easier to part ways if they'd fallen out of love, or if after every argument, there wasn't the quiet admission of seeing things from the other person’s point of view, the murmured concessions, the vocal apologies. If Maddie had been more willing to meet him halfway instead of insisting that a relationship wasn't about compromise. (After all, his father never compromised, and look how that turned out...)

 

It took awhile for Jude to come to terms with what needed to be done, but it gave him time to plan. In his head, they'd go out to their favorite restaurant one last time, have a couple beers, talk things over and then make love one more time before falling asleep in eachothers arms. In the morning, he'd put on the coffee while she slept and sneak out the door only to send her flowers and then waffle afterwards because she hated the token he so adored, but it would have been so fitting. They'd have laughed and they’d stay friends, because that's what mature adults do after breakups.

 

Unfortunately, Jude wasn't as mature as he thought he was, and that was really part of the problem, wasn't it?

 

Maddie was worn out from a long week and didn't want to go out. Then, as Jude picked up their take-out, the reality of what was about to happen hit him full on in the face and he spent the rest of the short trip to Maddie’s place trying not to cry while ignoring the echo of Maddie’s voice going on about toxic masculinity.

 

Part of him wanted to put it off. But frankly, they'd put it off too long already and what was the sense of ruining a good day? He may as well heap some shit on an already crappy one.

 

By the time he got there, he was red and blotchy and he couldn't school the stricken expression from his face no matter how hard he tried. He got halfway to Maddie’s porch before realizing that he forgot the take out in the truck and had to go back for it. Then, he stood as awkwardly as a delivery boy on the doorstep until Maddie jerked the door open.

 

“Jude? What are you doing?” Her tone was a mixture of confusion and reproval. But when he looked at her, it suddenly changed. “Ohmygod, what's wrong?”

 

He could have answered that a hundred ways, but what he blurted out was, “Can we talk?” 

 

Maddie’s eyes widened and her shoulders slumped. “Ah, shit. Yeah...” She took the food from him and walked away. He followed her into the kitchen where she shoved the bag into the counter before turning. “You want a beer?”

 

Jude’s throat was too tight for him to answer so he just shook his head. But he couldn't stop looking at her and it made her stare back at him expectantly.

 

“Maddie...” he finally blurted out in a bubble and spit webbed between his lips. He scrubbed his face then wipe his hand on his jeans. Fucking embarassing. Here he was, a grown ass man, and...the tears were hot as they slipped down his cheeks. But he was finally able to break her gaze and looked at first the ceiling, then the floor.

 

“I know, baby, I know.” Maddie slipped forward and put her hands on his cheeks, brushing her thumbs through his tear tracks. Pressing up on tiptoe, Maddie kissed his mouth. It was tender, sympathetic, and forgiving but Jude had to break away before he barked a son against her lips.

 

“I love you,” he whispered, grabbing her hands from his face and squeezing tightly before releasing them. “So. Much. But.”

 

“But.” Maddie’s lips turned down at the corners and she brought one fist to her mouth to cover it. 

 

She was going to make him say it. She always did, no matter how hard it was for him. So he swallowed a few times and found his voice. “We want...different things...and it's not fair...to either of us. So...”

 

“So...” She echoed and waited, her own eyes filling with tears.

 

Jude tried to go on and couldn't. He shook his head and looked away.

 

“So this is goodbye...” Maddie finally supplied for him and he nodded.

 

“I'm sorry,” Jude pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm sorry I'm not what you...I'm sorry I couldn't be...”

“Oh, Jude...” Maddie scowled softly. “Stop. You're a good man. It's like you said, we want different things. We're taking different paths. We're just not right for eachother.”

“...Right,” Jude said but part of him was affronted that she agreed. His nose started to run and he began to sniffle. Silence blossomed between them and his discomfort grew. 

 

“So what now?” Made finally broke the silence.

 

Jude glanced at her. He didn't want to go but he didn't have a reason to stay, either. Just like that, they were done. There was no begging, pleading, or arguing. There was nothing to talk out. Only quiet acceptance. 

 

He chewed his lip as he felt his pocket for the pack of smokes that wasn't there (he'd quit a couple months prior). “I dunno. I guess I'll go.”

 

“You don't have to...” Maddie offered.

 

But the thing was, he did. He couldn't just sit there now that they'd officially severed ties, and look at her when she wasn't his anymore.

 

“Yeah, I do.”

 

“What about dinner?”

 

“Keep it.” He stepped forward as though to kiss her, then stopped, cramming his hands into his pockets and awkwardly side stepping around her.”

 

“Your Carhart...” She said, and turned toward the front closet. She'd had that jacket he gave her after a match one chilly night for so damn long he'd bought another one. 

 

“Keep it.”

 

“Jude...”

 

“I thought I could do this...I can't. I can't...” The tears that had finally dried up started to fall again. “I love you. I love you, okay?” Jude pulled his hands from his pockets and cradled her face the way she'd held his, kissed her lips, her cheek, her forehead, and then pulled away.

 

“Jude...”

 

“I have to go. It hurts too much. Best to your parents. Best to you, Maddie...”

 

His vision blurred on the way back to his truck and he whipped into traffic sooner than he should have, but fuck it. He pulled into the first package store he came to, bought a case of Orange dinosaur, a pack of Marb reds, and two cherry cigars. 

 

“You alright, man?” The clerk ringing him out asked.

 

“Nah,” Jude said and wiped his cheeks self-consciously before accepting his change. “But have a good night.”

 

“Yeah man, you too...”


End file.
